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59 PE Legend

The sweet tightness

Trademarks: Very smooth attack. Nice midrange. Sweet and tight at the same time.

Styles: Rock, Blues, Pop

Output: Low (59 PE N), Medium (59 PE B)

Retail price: From 350 Euros (without VAT) per set

The design of our 59 PAFoids is based on original Gibson® 1959 PAFs (we have such an original at GAS Lab, but we also compared to other 1959 PAFs that we were lucky to have on the GAS workbench).
Since there is no officially specified PAF sound due to the huge inconsistency between the original pickups, we decided to design and offer no less than three different 59 sets. After all, our main goal is to design pickups that sound good also (if not mainly) on new guitars. All in all a tough task, indeed.
Out of our three 59ers, the 59 PE set is the most accurate and close to the originals in terms of design and historic accuracy.
We had to combine the best available parts, such as HQ alloy metal parts, AWG 42 plain enamel wire with 50’s specs (hence the "PE" acronym), 1010 steel alloy fillister cheese head screws, 1215 steel alloy slugs, and of course our US-made, long, rough-cast, pre-1964 specs, A5 low magnetized magnet bars (exclusively made for GAS Pickups) in order to achieve the open sound of the era.

The 59 PE N features slightly unbalanced coils (a very small offset) and is designed for neck position. It offers a smooth, open, and extremely dynamic old-school tone mostly suitable for blues, soul, and old-school rock, with the perfect balance between sweetness and tightness.
The 59 PE B is slightly overwound than the 59PE N, but with a reverse (un)balance and a very small offset between the coils. Dynamic, full old-school tone, with a very smooth attack and a nice sizzle on the higher midrange.
The 59 PE Legend set is delivered strictly non-wax-potted for that original sound, which also embodies the acoustic timbre of the instrument. We highly recommend it for guitars with really good construction and wood quality. As with every Legend set, it can be delivered in an open coil look or with a German silver cover.

Neck Rdc range	7,0 kOhms
Neck Resonance frequency	6,1 kHz
Bridge R_dc range	8,0 kOhms
Bridge Resonance frequency	5,8 kHz
Bar magnet alloy	A5 (pre 1964 specs)
Pole screw alloy	1010
Slug alloy	1215
Hookup wire	Single braided
Winding wire (AWG, Coating)	42 Plain Enamel (50's specs)
Coils winding	Unbalanced

Introduction

For the proper installation and wiring of your GAS Pickups, we strongly recommend letting a professional luthier or electrician perform this job in order for the pickups to be installed correctly and with no damage, which would harm the pickup’s functionality and warranty.

Delivery

All GAS Legend PAFoids are delivered with proper height adjustment screws and springs. GAS Legend PAFoids accept long US 3-48 thread screws.

Wiring

GAS Legend PAFoids come with the typical single braided hook-up wire. The pickup wiring and phase are compatible with Gibson® humbuckers. All Legend PAFoids metal parts are grounded on the braided hook-up wire.
For the desired wiring diagram of your guitar, please refer to the dozens of specialized websites with such diagrams, depending on the desired pickup configuration.

Pickup height or string distance

There is a lot of conversation on this item. The fact is, there is no absolute guidance for a generic pickup height adjustment! The distance of a pickup to the strings is dependent on countless factors, such as pickup output, pickup position, string gauge, the guitar itself, the guitarist’s overall playing technique (string hitting, etc.), and the musical styles that are about to be covered. In the case of a pickup set, usually the pickup height is adjusted so all pickups show a similar output level, but this is not a rule. Our recommendation: The desired pickup height adjustment is a procedure that may last longer than you think; just start with a generic distance of 2mm on the e strings and repeat the procedure (adjust, play, listen, re-adjust) until you are satisfied. Don’t forget to adjust in small steps (e.g., one full turn of the height adjustment screw each time) in order to easily come back one step if you are not happy with the new situation. And, trust us, if you just repeat the whole thing a couple of weeks later, you will probably find yourself re-adjusting the height again. It is something that each musician should go through by himself.

Dimensions

GAS Legend PAFoids are direct replacements for Gibson® guitars and similar models. They come in 49,2mm spacing and with the traditional long-leg base plate. If you intend installing your Legends on a guitar with a shallower profile, please let us know so we may deliver your Legends with short-leg base plates.
The dimensions for the Legend PAFoids (with and without a pickup cover) are as follows (sizes in mm):
- Legend PAFoid sets are mainly named with a year (e.g., 57, 59, 60, etc.). Do the relevant Legend models actually correspond to the original models of those years?
  
  Following our main philosophy, GAS Legends are more "based on" pickups than exact reproductions. To create pickups that offer specific sound qualities, we use specs from particular eras of old, original pickups (we had the opportunity to measure and analyze many old PAFs, PAT sticker- and PAT number pickups in our lab) and finally design them with our own specs. Some sets are closer to the original (as our 59 PE set), and some are more individually designed (as our 58 set).
- Are Legends available with covers?
  
  All Legend sets are available in "open coil" look (double black, zebra, and double cream) or with an unpolished German silver cover. In any version, Legend PAFoids are direct replacements for original Gibson® humbuckers.
- What are the main differences in quality between Legend PAFoids and Standard Humbuckers?
  
  Standard Humbuckers offer our standard GAS quality by using top parts, design, and craftsmanship. Legends offer the same high quality but a higher dynamic range due to the use of exclusively ordered magnet bars, which refer to specific MMPA standards. Further on, we mostly use the standard Poly 155 wire in our standard Humbuckers, whereas in our Legends we use Heavy PVA, red Poly, and Plain enamel wire (with 50’s and 60’s specs).